The Battle of Thistlepaw
by ShadowstripeD
Summary: Hey this is my first story! First of the series.


Iceclan

Leader: Dewstar

On his last life, Dewstar is a surly tom with brown fur and dark eyes. Mate: Goosefeather (deceased) Kits: Whiterose, Feathersong, Stormpaw (dead)

Deputy: Silverheart

Black medium-furred tom, with a silver chest spot, muzzle, tail, and hind legs. Very noble, and gives great advice. His smoky gray eyes have dark amber pin points. Apprentice: Winterpaw

Mate: Feathersong

Medicine cat: Frostflower

Pure black she-cat with light blue eyes Apprentice: Fernpaw

Warriors:

Lionfur: Lionfur is a golden she-cat with a distinctive ginger scruff. This splash of color earned her name. This cat never had kits or a mate, and was usually found lurking in the warriors den. Lionfur has orange eyes, and white toes.

Scarface: Scarface is a dusty brown tom with a sharp sense of humor and multiple scars on his face. Amber eyes. Mate: Ravenpelt

Ravenpelt: She-cat so blue she is almost black. Coal black eyes Mate: Scarface Kits: Elmear, Sparrowflight

Bushclaw: Bushclaw is a red-brown tom. Bushclaw is missing half of his tail, and is blind in his right eye due to an attack. His eye is green, and his body is full of deep scars. Mate: Bluetail

Bluetail - Bluetail is a senior warrior and might be moving into the Elders youngest daughter. Kits: Briarpaw, Briskpaw, Hailstorm and more on the way Mate: Silverheart

Apprentices

Airpaw: tiny grey she-cat Mentor: Graytooth

Gingerpaw: brownish red tom with green eyes Mentor: Sparrowflight

Flatpaw: Crippled tom Mentor: Ravenpelt

Briskpaw: Orange tom with grey markings Mentor: Redfur

Briarpaw: Pale brown she-cat with forest green eyes Mentor: Lionfur

Winterpaw: white she-cat with ice blue eye. Mentor: Silverheart

Clearpaw: Gray she-cat with green eyes Mentor: Scarface

Kits:

Rosekit: A sleek golden red she-cat with soft red pinpoints on her bushy pelt, a red stripe from her nose to her tail tip, a dark red tail tip, red feet, thick, yet soft fur, bright grey eyes

Berrykit: Bright red she-cat with amber eyes. Berrykit has a soft gray patch on her chest.

Robinkit: Robinpaw is a gray tom with soft gingery color on his underbelly.

Shadowkit: A ashy gray she-cat with a black stripe down her back, a white stripe from her nose to her forehead, short but coarse fur, a white tail tip, and icy grayish blue eyes.

Eyes like ice pierced the darkness of the kit cave. The blue eyes belonged to Shadowkit, taking her first glimpse of the outside world around her. Under the protective gaze of her mother, Shadowkit took a cautious step out of the cave. Early winter sunlight greeted her and she mewed softly. Her quiet cry was greeted by her mother's low one, followed by Robinkit's and Berrykit's.

"Quite enough, now. I wouldn't want to over excite you on your first day out," came Willowtail's meow. "Inside now, come on." Shadowkit turned slowly, long tail swinging behind her. She longed to be outside again, listening to the reassuring chirp of the birds in the trees. She could still hear them from the den, but the sound was quieter. Someday, she would be out, someday.

It took a while, that's true. Willowtail was a very protective mother. The kits were four moons before they were allowed to play outside the nursery. Redfur had to coax Willowtail to let the kits go out. This was awfully old, but Willowtail insisted.

Every day was the same. Shadowkit watched the apprentices work with their mentors and laugh and play together. And every day, Shadowkit stayed in the nursery.

But one day, things were different. A young apprentice named Briarpaw came to visit Shadowkit. Shadowkit dimly remembered Briarpaw, they had once played together in the shade of the nursery.

One day, when Shadowkit was four moons old, Briarpaw brought in the newest apprentice, Winterpaw. Pure white, with blue eyes, Winterpaw looked majestic. Shadowkit was scared to talk to her. She had seen Winterpaw hunting and fighting, and she rarely lost, even against her mentor, Silverheart. And Silverheart was the deputy of the clan!

Winterpaw and Briarpaw meowed in greeting. They turned to Willowtail for permission to step inside the nursery. Though Willowtail didn't like it, she mewed her reluctant agreement and the two apprentices stepped inside.

"Hiya, Shadowkit!" meowed Briarpaw.

"Hello, Briarpaw," purred Shadowkit. "How is your mentor?"

"Good," replied Briarpaw. "Hey, I think you've met Winterpaw. She's a pretty good friend of mine!"

Winterpaw turned her icy blue gaze onto Shadowkit. "Hello," she said in a voice that was powerful and respect commanding. Thus, Shadowkit bowed her gray head and murmured, "Hi."

"I heard you'll be moving up to apprentice soon!" babbled Briarpaw.

"Yes, I'm so excited," Shadowkit said, forgetting her fears of Winterpaw. "Who do you think my mentor will be?"

"I don't know. Probably one of the older warriors with more experience, like Ravenpelt or Brokenheart," replied Winterpaw. With a jolt, Shadowkit remembered she was there.

"Brokenheart? Which one is that?" asked Shadowkit.

"You know," mewed Briarpaw in a hushed voice. "The dark brown one with the scars all over. The one who was found just roaming around our clan a few moons ago."

Shadowkit certainly did remember the old dark warrior.

"Rumor has it that he loved the Fireclan medicine cat. That's why we call him Brokenheart," added Winterpaw. "To be honest, it has turned him a bit funny." The other two cats nodded their agreement.

"Well, we had better get going," whispered Briarpaw ruefully. "Lionfur will make me eat mouse dung if I don't hurry up. Believe me, she threatened last time." The two she-cats disappeared.

Later that day, Redfur came to visit Shadowkit in the nursery. "I have spoken to Dewstar, and she says that you and your siblings may be apprentices soon." He repeated the same news to the other two kits.

"Oh, I'm so excited!" squealed Berrykit. Robinkit and Shadowkit nodded fervently. Shadowkit was so excited!

The long shadows returned as they did every night. And Shadowkit woke, cold. It was odd. The season was not yet Leaf-bare. But she found the problem. Robinkit was gone.

Thinking that Robinkit had just gone out the get some air, Shadowkit lay back down. But Robinkit did not come back. So Shadowkit left the den to look for him.

Shadowkit followed Robinkit's scent trail as far as the clan boundary. This meant that Robinkit had gone to FireClan!

As Shadowkit chased the scent back to her den, she noticed that there was an accompanying scent. That meant that Robinkit had left purposely, and he had not been taken. She had to tell somebody, but who? Willowtail would be grumpy if Shadowkit woke her up at this hour of the night. Berrykit would be skeptical.

What about Briarpaw and Winterpaw? They were bound to help search, weren't they? It was worth a shot.

Shadowkit padded over to the apprentice den quickly. She stuck her head inside and meowed urgently to Briarpaw, who was at the front of the den, "Help! Robinkit is gone!"

Briarpaw looked up, her brown eyes tired. "Wasgoinon?" she asked sleepily.

"Robinkit is missing!"

"Where did he go?" Briarpaw asked, more alert now.

"FireClan territory," Shadowkit said anxiously. "You've got to help me!"

Briarpaw stretched and stood up. She nudged Winterpaw and they stood up to follow Shadowkit out.

"Should we tell Dewstar?" Briarpaw wondered.

"Silverheart. Dewstar wouldn't find one missing kit important enough to send patrols out for," Winterpaw mewed indignantly. "I'll get him."

Winterpaw raced off to the warriors den. Briarpaw and Shadowkit stepped out of the apprentice den. Shadowkit quickly led Briarkit to where Robinkit had disappeared.

"This is where his scent ends," Shadowkit meowed to Briarkit. The two waited impatiently for Winterpaw's return. She was back a moment later with Silverheart.

"He disappeared over the boundary!"

"I'll send out patrols for him if he isn't back within the hour," Silverheart replied. "Meanwhile, look over the territory for him just in case he came back.

They searched and searched.

"The hour must be almost-" Winterpaw began, but was cut off my a loud shriek of terror. Winterpaw took off in the direction of the scream, Briarpaw and Shadowkit at her paws. They arrived at the boundary in time to find Robinkit zipping through the trees alongside another IceClan tom, pursued by no less than fifteen FireClan warriors.

"Attack," the leader screamed.

"Wake up, wake up!" Silverheart yelled. "Protect!"

Sleepy apprentices jumped to their feet, yawning deeply. Warriors rushed out of their dens. The kits jumped around excitedly.

"Shadowkit! Go back to your den NOW!" meowed Winterpaw. "Care for the other kits!"

But it was too late. The kits were already being attacked. Winterpaw and Shadowkit ran over there. A huge black warrior had dragged two of the kits out of the nursery. Winterpaw ran over to him and bit him on the tail. The tom let out a cry of agony and fled the scene.

A silver she-cat tore her way through the nursery, black eyes blazing. "Where is it?" she hissed.

Shadowkit slashed her claws across the cat's pelt while wondering what it was. The she-cat howled and took off into the dawn.

"Help, Shadowkit, help!" screamed Winterpaw. Shadowkit jerked her head around and saw Briarpaw and Winterpaw fighting a huge tabby tom. The FireClan deputy. Shadowkit rushed over to help, and arrived just as the tom struck Briarpaw on the side of the throat.

Briarpaw omitted a gurgling sound from her throat before slumping to the grass. Shadowkit cried out and licked Briarpaw's head sadly. But Shadowkit knew that the young she-cat was beyond her help. "Briarpaw," she mewed.

"I'm sorry," Briarpaw whispered shakily. "Please, tell Airpaw that I am sorry, that we could have lived together long, as friends. We'll meet again, my friends. But for now, let me rest under the shade of the nursery oak, and I will drink from the starry rivers of StarClan. Goodbye, friends." And Briarpaw moved no more.

All the FireClan warriors were gone, but a deathly silence wrapped itself around the clan as the IceClan warriors looked for the dead. Dewstar had been killed by the silver warrior. Among the dead were Briarpaw, Flatpaw, and Brokenheart. And last was small Berrykit, killed as she fled to safety, her red fur ripped from her small frame.

"Normally," said Silverstar, "we would make you a apprentice due to your bravery, unfortunately, you aren't six moons yet, so I can't." It was at the Clan Meeting, one day later. "But Iceclan thanks you, Shadowkit."

""Winterpaw, rise please," yowled Silverstar. "I think it is about time you became a warrior." Winterpaw's beautiful eyes glinted with excitement, but she fought to contain it as she bowed.

"From this day on, you will be known as Winterfrost." Winterfrost bowed and retreated into the audience.

"Wait!" Shadowkit called. "I think Briarpaw should be honored by being made a warrior. She fought hard today." There was an uneasy murmur going through the crowd. What did this young kit know about anything?

"I agree," Winterfrost purred. "Please?"

"Alright." Silverstar stood straighter. "In honor of Briarpaw's fierce fighting yesterday, I call upon StarClan to accept her as a warrior. From this moment on, she will be known as Briartalon." A murmur of the deceased warrior's name rang through the crowd.

"And now I must announce my new deputy! Ravenpelt, do you accept the offer?"

"I do," meowed a dark blue she-cat.

"Well, you all have warrior's duties to attend to. May I have a committee to patch up camp and another patrol? And I need to speak with Winterfrost, Shadowkit, Robinkit, and Briskpaw in my den immediately."

Shadowkit had never been in the leader den before, and judging by the anxious looks on the others' faces, they hadn't either.

"Sit, please," Silverstar mewed in an uncharacteristically cold tone. There was silence for a moment as the young cats sat.

"First of all, I'd like to congratulate Shadowkit and Winterfrost for their performance yesterday," said Silverstar. "Thank you for helping me cope with the death of Dewstar as well. After the Gathering tomorrow I shall make my journey to The Moonstone and receive my nine lives." Silverstar saw Shadowkit looking confused, so Silverstar meowed, "That is the place where StarClan grants the clan leaders their nine lives."

"As for you two, I'd like to know what you were doing in FireClan territory last night!" He hissed at the two male cats.

"Both of them? But there was only one scent trail!" interrupted Shadowkit. Silverstar glanced at the toms. "Only they can tell you that."

Robinkit refused to speak, but Briskpaw volunteered. "We went at different places."

"Went where, exactly?"

"To visit my friend, Thistlepaw," answered Briskpaw sheepishly.

"Your friend?"

"Just mine, but I wanted Robinkit here to meet him."

"And how long have you been seeing Thistlepaw?"

"I met him hunting one day last moon," Briskpaw mewed ashamedly.

"Can you explain to me why we were attacked?" pursued Silverstar.

This time, Briskpaw could not meet her eyes, but finally he answered, "We told him everything about the clan, about how we didn't have patrols at night and stuff like that. We- I never thought he'd tell."

"I see." Silverstar rested back, eyes glinting angrily. "Well, I'm very disappointed in your behaviors, especially yours, Briskpaw. My own son! Putting the lives of many in danger...how dare you?"

"I'm sorry," they mumbled.

"Both of you will be tending to the elders. Robinkit, you will become an apprentice late, and Briskpaw will become a warrior late. You both may go." The two toms padded slowly out of the den.

"Hold on for a second. Someone was asking what it is. What was she talking about?" meowed Shadowkit.

"Stupid Robinkit here fed one of the warriors this story about a weapon that would destroy the clan you hate most."

"So this fight, it broke out over something that wasn't even real.'

"It shows real stupidity on their part," called Briskpaw as he left the den.

"Shadowkit, Winterfrost, how lucky I am to have you two. Shadowkit, your father was my best friend in kithood, I want you to know. And Moonflower...we got along alright, I suppose-"

"If you hated her, I don't mind. I hate her too." Shadowkit was surprised by Winterfrost's outburst.

"I did not hate her," Silverstar said evenly, "We just did not see eye to eye on everything."

Winterfrost said nothing else, but scowled at her paws.

"Thank you, Silverstar," mewed Shadowkit.

"Anytime, Shadowkit, anytime. You may go."

The End


End file.
